Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is hoping recent Heisman history repeats: Each of the last five Heisman winners has played on a winning team in a bowl game, and the past three Heisman winners who had a shot at the national title got it.
But while five consecutive Heisman winners have won their bowl games, including three in title games, that came on the heels of a nine-season stretch in which seven Heisman winners lost in their bowl games -- and six of those losses came in national title appearances.
For Mariota and the Ducks to win the national title, they'll have to win two postseason games -- a playoff semifinal on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl against Florida State and 2013 Heisman winner Jameis Winston, then a national championship game Jan. 12.
Here is a look at how all the Heisman winners have fared in their postseason games since the award was introduced in 1935. (Note: Unless specified, "no bowl" means a player's team either didn't qualify for a bowl or didn't accept postseason bids. And remember that in the days of yore, generally only conference champs went to bowl games.)
2013: Florida State QB Jameis Winston
2012: Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
2011: Baylor QB Robert Griffin III
2010: Auburn QB Cam Newton
2009: Alabama RB Mark Ingram
2008: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford
2007: Florida QB Tim Tebow
2006: Ohio State QB Troy Smith
2005: USC RB Reggie Bush
2004: USC QB Matt Leinart
2003: Oklahoma QB Jason White
2002: USC QB Carson Palmer
2001: Nebraska QB Eric Crouch
2000: Florida State QB Chris Weinke
1999: Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne
1998: Texas RB Ricky Williams
1997: Michigan CB Charles Woodson
1996: Florida QB Danny Wuerffel
1995: Ohio State RB Eddie George
1994: Colorado RB Rashaan Salaam
1993: Florida State QB Charlie Ward
1992: Miami QB Gino Torretta
1991: Michigan WR Desmond Howard
1990: BYU QB Ty Detmer
1989: Houston QB Andre Ware
1988: Oklahoma State RB Barry Sanders
1987: Notre Dame WR Tim Brown
1986: Miami QB Vinny Testaverde
1985: Auburn RB Bo Jackson
1984: Boston College QB Doug Flutie
1983: Nebraska RB Mike Rozier
1982: Georgia RB Herschel Walker
1981: USC RB Marcus Allen
1980: South Carolina RB George Rogers
1979: USC RB Charles White
1978: Oklahoma RB Billy Sims
1977: Texas RB Earl Campbell
1976: Pitt RB Tony Dorsett
1975: Ohio State RB Archie Griffin
1974: Ohio State RB Archie Griffin
1973: Penn State RB John Capelletti
1972: Nebraska WR Johnny Rodgers
1971: Auburn QB Pat Sullivan
1970: Stanford QB Jim Plunkett
1969: Oklahoma FB Steve Owens
1968: USC RB O.J. Simpson
1967: UCLA QB Gary Beban
1966: Florida QB Steve Spurrier
1965: USC RB Mike Garrett
1964: Notre Dame QB John Huarte
1963: Navy QB Roger Staubach
1962: Oregon State QB Terry Baker
1961: Syracuse RB Ernie Davis
1960: Navy RB Joe Bellino
1959: LSU RB Billy Cannon
1958: Army RB Pete Dawkins
1957: Texas A&M RB John David Crow
1956: Notre Dame QB Paul Hornung
1955: Ohio State RB Howard Cassady
1954: Wisconsin FB Alan Ameche
1953: Notre Dame RB John Lattner
1952: Oklahoma RB Billy Vessels
1951: Princeton RB Dick Kazmaier
1950: Ohio State RB Vic Janowicz
1949: Notre Dame E Leon Hart
1948: SMU RB Doak Walker
1947: Notre Dame QB John Lujack
1946: Army RB Glenn Davis
1945: Army FB Doc Blanchard
1944: Ohio State QB Les Horvath
1943: Notre Dame QB Angelo Bertelli
1942: Georgia RB Frank Sinkwich
1941: Minnesota RB Bruce Smith
1940: Michigan RB Tom Harmon
1939: Iowa RB Nile Kinnick
1938: TCU QB Davey O'Brien
1937: Yale RB Clint Frank
1936: Yale E Larry Kelley
1935: Chicago RB Jay Berwanger
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
